Pecan Pralines

PECAN PRALINES: Pecans are cooked to the soft ball stage with brown sugar, white sugar, evaporated milk and butter, and then beaten and poured on a slab to firm up in these sweet, chewy candies. PRALINE is a form of confection containing at a minimum nuts and sugar; cream is a common third ingredient.

PECAN SOURCE: The pecan tree is a large deciduous tree, growing to 66 to 131 feet in height. A pecan, like the fruit of all other members of the hickory genus, is not truly a nut, but is technically a drupe, a fruit with a single stone or pit, surrounded by a husk.

ORIGIN: Pecans first became known to Europeans in the 16th century. They are native to North America and produced in Maricao and the southern U.S.

PRODUCTION: In 2015, the United States produced 225,000,000 pounds of pecans. That equates to over 520 million dollars.

NUTRITIONAL VALUE: 3.2 oz of pecans provide 690 calories and over 100% of the daily value for total fat. Pecans are a rich source of dietary fiber, manganese magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and thiamin. Pecans are also a good source of protein, iron, and B vitamins. Their fat content consists principally of monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid and linoleic acid.

HEALTH: Pecans are remarkable. They provide cardiovascular health and digestive health. Pecans help in weight loss because they increase metabolism and are good for bone and teeth health because of the calcium. Pecans reduce the risk of breast cancer due to their oleic acid. They are also an anti-inflammatory and help to reduce blood pressure. Great for skin, anti-aging and strengthening the immune system.